Pima County releases its 2024 heat report, which plans changes for next year

TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – The Pima County Health Department has released its 2024 interim heat report.

A copy of that report is available HERE.

“Overall, I think the response was better than in 2023,” says Dr. Theresa Cullen, director of Pima County Health. “I think it will be better as we go into 2025.”

According to the report, 91 people died last summer due to heat-related problems, while 779 people had to be hospitalized.

But without efforts to help people, the death toll would have been higher.

“If our goal is to make sure we save lives and reduce the impact of heat, then I think we’ve done a good job,” Cullen said.

Pima County opened nearly 40 cooling or respite centers for those needing a break from the sweltering heat.

Whether or not more respite centers become available, there is little doubt that they will focus more on the communities that need them most.

It is likely that there will be more centers in stressed communities where some people can suffer from heat rather than pay a utility bill they may not be able to afford. Lower-income communities will also be targeted.

The goal is to have a respite center within one to three miles of those who need it.

It was a lesson we learned this year.

“We need to ensure that we have appropriate access to a heat respite center in certain areas where we did not have one this year,” Cullen said.

Nearly 15,000 people showed up at these respite centers this year, with more than 21,000 internet searches conducted and more than 5,000 on July 15 alone, when there was a major power outage.

But the provincial health department also wants people to take personal responsibility, because cooling centers can only help so much. Age, medications and even weight gain can affect the ability to withstand heat.

“People acclimate, which means they can become accustomed to living in high temperatures,” Cullen said. “But the caveat to that: Just because you’ve lived in Tucson for 20 years doesn’t mean you’re not at risk.”

Pima County will produce a final report with details in December. But the one detail that’s probably at the top of the list: It will get warmer over time.

“Heat is a threat, it’s a threat to the individual, it’s a threat to the community, it’s a threat to public health,” Cullen said.

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